9 Healthy Toddler Meals for Daycare

June 12, 2017

One of the most challenging things about being a mom for me right now is figuring out what to pack Jack in his lunches for daycare. The daycare we send Jack to does not provide meals for him. This can be a good and bad thing. It's good, because I get to be in control over what I pack for him. He gets a variety from me and I know what kinds of foods he likes. It's bad, because I am constantly trying to figure out what to pack. I try my best to send him to school with a decent lunch. I was flattered that his teacher said to me that Jack has the best lunches in the class. It makes me wonder what the other parents send for their kids to eat, because I don't think I do anything special with his lunches.

Here are a few tips I like to stick to when coming up with meal ideas for my little guy.

1.) Feed your child what you eat- I try not to buy a whole lot of special foods for Jack. I buy food that I can pack in his lunches, my lunches and my husband's. I don't want him to only eat kid type food.

2.) Give them a variety- I always try to pack Jack a protein, grain, fruit and vegetable. This way it lets him try a little bit of everything. I try to give him new foods to try along with something that I know he will eat, like fruit.

3.) Make it colorful- At my school, one thing I like about our food program is that they try to make the meals colorful. For whatever reason it's appealing to the children and it makes them want to try all the food. That's why I try to pack Jack colorful meals. I like to send him with something green, something red, something orange... anything to make the meal more appealing to him.

4.) Pack left overs- This is perfect for saving money and time. I always pack Jack left over dinner. It saves me the time of thinking up a meal and it helps me get rid of the extra food from dinner.

5.) Don't give up on foods- It takes a child at least 7 to 15 times of trying a new food, before they can actually say they don't like it. I have a hard time getting Jack to eat meat and vegetables, but that doesn't mean I stop feeding it to him. I think that is one of the things parents do that can create a picky eater, they give up on foods they won't eat and only feed them foods they will eat. I have worked with young children for a long time. At one of my jobs, I remember a child who's parents packed them...no joke.... garlic bread and candy everyday. That is an example of a parent who just wanted their kid to eat. You can't give up on food, especially when they are little.

Those are my tips. Here's a list of different meals that I packed for Jack over the last couple months.

Main meal- Ravioli with marinara sauceVeggie- PeasFruit- Peaches

Main meal- Ham and cheese slicesVeggie- AvocadoFruit- Strawberries

Main meal- Turkey and cheeseVeggie- no veggies, extra fruitFruit- Blueberries and peaches

Main meal- Gyro meat, cheese and pitaVeggie- no veggieFruit- Raspberries

Main meal- Tortellini with marinara sauceVeggie- Peas and carrotsFruit- Watermelon

Main meal- Scrambled eggsVeggie- Mixed vegetablesFruit- Blueberries

Main meal- Fettuccini Veggie- Peas and carrotsFruit- strawberries

Main meal- Ham and CheeseVeggie- No veggieFruit- Blueberries

For snack, I keep it very simple. I like to pack him yogurt or apple sauce pouches. I also like nurtri-grain bars for his am snack. It's easiest for me to grab something and go in the morning.

I also pack him 2 cups of milk and 1 water for the day. I know I'm not perfect, I noticed that I don't pack a vegetable every time, but I do my best to mix it up and introduce my little guy to as many different foods as I can. So far pasta, cheese and fruits are his favorites. (He takes after his mommy)

You Might Also Like

9
comments

I really like your article. Our daycare makes lunch, but not for the babies. My son just turned one, and I have been sending the Gerber toddler meals, but they are more expensive than baby food. Where did you get your containers? Do they have a lid?

Thank you for this post. I'm at that transitioning point with my first baby, and I've been apprehensive about sending her to daycare with new foods when I don't know if she likes them yet. This post gave me some good ideas of what to try though. Thanks again.

Hi! I just found your blog, and I'm loving it so far! Question: what do you send lunches in? Like a lunch bag/insulated bag? I am struggling with finding something to hold cups, lunch, and snacks in a functional way. Thanks!

Thank you so much! I'm glad you found me! I actually never sent his lunch in any kind of bag other than his diaper bag, because the classroom had a refrigerator in it and we had a short drive. I will have to look into some good insulated lunch bags when he's older.

Instagram

Disclosure

As my readers, I want you to know that Thrifty Wife Happy Life uses affiliate links, which means by clicking on and/or making a purchase through a link on this site, may result in a small commission for this blog. You can read more about that HERE. Thank you for your support!